Russia Shuts Down Churches Activities

"Religion Today News," April 30, 2001

In Moscow, Russia, the Church of God of Christians of the
Evangelical Faith was evicted from the theater that they had been worshipping
in since 1999. On March 28, the theater director was summoned to the culture
committee where he was given a letter telling him to cancel the lease with the
church after it had been described on a TV broadcast as "a sect bringing
an alien culture."

Sergei Ryakhovsky, the church's pastor, also told Keston
News Service that he "fears that this cancellation of their lease may be
the first signs of a change of state policy regarding religious organizations.
This, in spite of the fact that the church's drug rehab center is well
respected in the Moscow region, and in January Ryakhovsky had received a medal
from President Vladamir Putin for services to the Fatherland."

In Russia's Far East, the 200-member "Victory of
Faith" Full Gospel Church in Amursk was ordered liquidated on April 5 by
the justice department. Keston News reports the liquidation of this church and
11 daughter churches appears to be "the culmination of local persistent
efforts to restrict the activity of the church, which places a strong emphasis
on missionary work."